Blowing dust, health advisories issued for the area

Wednesday

Jun 11, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Gusty winds and blowing dust could cause problems for people with health issues

Taft is under a wind advisory from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday and air pollution officials warn that dust stirred up by the gusty winds could cause or exacerbate health problems, especially for people with underlying health issues

The National Weather Service said Taft can expect winds blowing at 15-25 miles per hour from the west-southwest with gusts up to 30 miles per hour.That's enough to kick up dust and cause visibility problems for people driving on area roads.There could be even strong winds on the west side of the valley to the north.

The good news is the winds mark a change in the weather patterns after two days with 100-degree plus weather.

Monday's high in Taft was 107, the thermometer climbed to 102 degrees by midafternoon.

Wednesday's high is expected to be around 96 and the rest of the week should see afternoon highs around 93 with lows in the mid to upper 60s.

The wind advisory prompted the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to issue the following statement just after 3 p.m.:

Blowing dust as a result of developing gusty winds has prompted local air pollution officials to issue a health cautionary statement this afternoon through the early hours of Wednesday morning in the following areas of the air basin: the western portions of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno and Kings Counties, and the entire Valley portion of Kern County.

Where conditions warrant, people with heart or lung disease should follow their doctors’ advice for dealing with episodes of particulate exposure. Additionally, older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure or heavy exertion, depending on their local conditions.

For more information, visit www.valleyair.org or callthe District office in Bakersfield (661-392-5500).